Online is a Thing. You should look into it.

One of my favorite things on Thanksgiving night is to get the children to bed, then sitting snug in my warm pajamas with a nice mug of hot chocolate with the last bit of whipped cream I hid from the pumpkin pie eaters, start my Harry Connik Jr. Christmas CD playing softly, and to complete my Christmas shopping in 30 minutes.

That’s right, I said 30 minutes.

Even better, I’m on Mountain Standard time, so the latest I would ever need to stay up is until 1:30 for the stores who do not start their specials until midnight Pacific. Click, click, click and I’m asleep before the crazy people can even get into the store.

The trick is preparation. You have to know what the deals are, where they are at, and what time they are available, and have a game plan in place before Black Friday rolls around. Not being disciplined can cost you valuable time and you may miss the special you are looking for. That is where the hard work is.

Fortunately I am here to help you out.

Find the Deals.

If you want to do the research, you have to know the sites to go to. Here are a few:

This is seriously a great go to place for up to the minute deals. For instance it will tell you that Kohl’s online Black Friday has ALREADY begun with an additional 15% off code and loads of Kohl’s cash.

To get the good deals here you have to be FAST. Many items will go in a few seconds. Others will last a few hours depending on how popular the item is. Don’t bet the house that you will get the deal. Have a backup plan.

If you are looking for anything to do with Gaming, get to know these guys. If you follow the message boards, they will also give you the skinny on price matching and other things. The biggest skinflints in the entire world live here.

Make sure that you have all the proper logins ahead of time, and KNOW your password.

Some of these deals will go in minutes. If you are fumbling around with creating a login, you could lose out. Once you have identified your deal, make sure that you can get to, and buy the item in a couple of clicks. That way you can move to the next item with alacrity. Nice, huh?

Prioritize.

It is probable that you won’t get everything you want in time, so start with the most needed or better priced items first.

Showing up in person.

There are times when you may need to show up in person. The trick is to pick your store wisely. Toys-R-Us, Walmart, and Best Buy will be retail Hell! Last year we needed a new Christmas tree. Home Depot had the $200 Martha Stewart Trees for $70. I showed up at 4:30 am (about #20 in line) the doors opened at 5:00 a.m., I was out of the store with my tree by 5:15 am, and was home asleep by 6:00 am. It is a whole different crowd at the home improvement and local merchant stores than you get at most of the chain retailers. You can hit drugstores like CVS and Walgreens early in the morning (early like 6:00 am) and get good deals without losing much sleep and knife-fighting.

Man I love that tree. . .

Lick you wounds.

OK you may not have gotten everything you tried to get. The good news is that you have 2 more days to prepare for Cyber Monday. Rinse, Lather, Repeat.

Perspective.

The reason I do my shopping early is to get most everything out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of the Holidays without spending too much more time in a store. It is just as good for my sanity as it is for my checkbook. I never make the mistake of impulse buying just because something is on sale. I focus on needs and a few wants and feel fortunate that my family has what we do. We always put back a little to make sure that we can help those less fortunate than ourselves, and share that experience with our children.

I don’t do black Fridays. Ever. I’m too old for this. I will tell you that we are buying a flat screen television for our boat and we’re doing it today so we won’t have go shop for anything after Thanksgiving. In fact I’m done shopping for Christmas.

Have a fabulous day and good luck on the shopping. Looks like you have it dialed in very nicely. ☺Comedy Plus recently posted…The Black Dot

Nice tips! I’ve gone out for Black Friday shopping, but I’ve never been to a store where it’s been ridiculously crazy. Plus, I tend to go more for fun and to get smaller items that are on sale than anything big or that I MUST HAVE! I do really like getting deals online though – much easier.ShootingStarsMag recently posted…A Look at Book Art: Nine Products to View

I can’t imagine going to Black Friday in person just to browse. I’d put that just below Jennifer trying to tweeze my eyebrows. And yes, online is much more fun, because as you look at the message boards, those people are teammates rather than competitors.

Let me count the reasons I love this list:
1. Deals
2. Efficiency (I’m such a nerd, yes)
3. Don’t have to go into a store (unless absolutely all other means have failed me)
4. That secret handshake gif.

Best Man Day post ever. I NEEDED these tips because frankly I knew exactly none of them already. Bloggers are the worst about hyping up a post with zero new information. But not Jen and her man. You have delivered. Thank you!!!! Round of applause all around!April recently posted…DAY ONE OF POTTY TRAINING JD TA-DA!!!

haha! The internet is a thing. Look into it.
Why on earth people go Black Friday shopping.. is one of life’s greatest mysteries. I don’t think there’s a deal in this world that would make me do that. Honestly.
This Black Friday I’m planning on doing a family photography shoot and adopting a cat.
That’s normal, right?Tamara recently posted…Olive This Garlic Olive Cheesy Bread!

This is awesome, Jen’s guy! I haven’t even started shopping this year. Online retail is definitely one of my very best friends. I didn’t know about BFads or that gaming site. They will both come in handy for me this year. Thank you!Candace recently posted…The Truth About Marriage

I only once went shopping on a Black Friday, and that was after paying for the team online and reserving it for pick up at the store. The Husband still says it was one of the best gifts I ever gave him. Otherwise, I pretty much stick to online shopping. Definitely going to check out BFads and Deal News though. Thanks for the recommendation!Leslie recently posted…Thankful

I’ve never done Black Friday shopping (in person) and I don’t plan to, but I love online shopping for when I have to buy things. I think it’s funny that often the deals start earlier online than they do in the stores and nobody knows that!Rabia @TheLiebers recently posted…December Memories